In the wake of the recent Executive Order barring individuals from receiving green cards for 60 days,White House senior policy advisor, Stephen Miller, told supporters,“When you suspend the entry of a new immigrant from abroad, you’re also reducing immigration further, because of the chains of follow-on migration that are disrupted,” Mr. Miller said. [NY Times, 4/25/20] Blocking immigrants from bringing in parents, siblings and other relatives has been a long-term goal for Mr. Miller and the White House. Ironically, the New York Times report was updated on the 27thanniversary of my father’s death, the son of Sicilian immigrants.
Last year, I wrote how my grandparents would not have been welcome under White House proposals for immigrants. Nor would their extended relatives, in particular, my great-grandmother and great-aunt. Family is not only everything in Italy; it is everything all over the world, including the American South, where my maternal grandmother hailed. My favorite childhood memories include the gatherings and reunions of both sides of my family with my grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Diving into the pond at Mullica Hill. Crabbing in Ocean City. Sitting at the knee of uncles describing their exploits over the Himalayas during World War II or my aunts laughing until they cried. Dipping into potato salad, baked beans and Grandma’s picnic cake. Twisting to the Beatles. Dressing up Barbies. Sharing sleepovers. I cannot imagine a world without being with all of my family.
The Republican Party defined Family Values, as “The family is the bedrock of our nation Our Party’s economic and social policies should always promote and strengthen that most sacred bond.” [1]
Family is derived from the Latin term, familia. According to the Latin dictionary, family is defined as 1) clan; 2) family; and 3) household. A clan is a “group of people tracing descent from a common ancestor.” [Merriam-Webster]. Which includes parents, children, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, nieces and nephews -the whole extended family.
Understandably, during a pandemic, countries would want to limit the influx of individuals crossing their borders. But, Mr. Miller is not just focused on the short-term, but the long-term. Ultimately, he and this administration would like to block all immigration, particularly people of color, and all of their various and sundry relatives.
Governments throughout the centuries have broken up families through their polices. As today is VE Day, we remember how Nazi Germany separated millions of family members from each other. After World War II, East Germany built the Berlin Wall, separating sister from sister, brother from brother. More recently, we have separated children from their parents and are building a wall of our own.
This cavalier disregard for the family unit saddens me, having been enriched all my life by my extended family. This extended family now includes in-laws and their family members and the newer generation of nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. Now, I can cheer on the UVA/UNC basketball teams, celebrate weddings, enjoy dinners in New York, relax on the beaches in Maine and make peach jelly every July. And get to know their worlds, their new families, their interests and lives.
I think of all the parents who cannot be with their children, grandparents missing the joy of being with their grandchildren, aunts, uncles and cousins who will not celebrate holidays and milestones together. Because a government or administration decided that its policies were more important than the family unit.
Family is everything. Not just for those in power. But, for each of us.
[1]The 2004 Democratic Party platform noted, “Family is the center of everyday American life.”